Discussions
I have to respond to the following statements of my classmates. Please provide at 100-150 words to each statement with a reference to each.
posted by ELIZABETH HALL
Dec 10, 2014, 12:59 PM
Why is it important to monitor improvements after they have been implemented? Why is it important to spot check, as well?
It is important for all groups involved to monitor improvements after implemented to ensure the changes are warranted and taking affect. As explained within our text, the monitoring continues to mark the success of changes and provides information for the need for further change (Spath, 2013). From the departments throughout the quality sections and department, the continual follow up at first gives data and validation to the change. If the information comes back that it didn’t help, that information validates the need for more change. On the same note, the need for spot checking is just as important. Spot checks allow a department or group to monitor periodically after the changes have been made. Usually the spot checks occur once the program has taken off and the improvements are proven successful. The spot checks provide data to the departments for continued education and a quick look to see if the program continues to stay on track without daily maintenance. Both checks allow all to move on to another area once one is maintained at a satisfactory level. They too provide information and data on measures and needs such as education or follow up.
posted by JESS MOYERS
Dec 10, 2014, 7:31 PM
One of the reasons we say that we “practice medicine” is that health care is not perfected in any way, and it is an ongoing improvement process. As improvements are discovered either through thought process, clinical trial, or a new science discovery we must monitor the effect of these improvements. In order to monitor the performance of these improvements, we need to develop the necessary means to provide feedback as to how they are working. This is my opinion, but I would think that in medicine the only improvement we used to have was did the patient get better on not. Health care has increased its performance improvement models to encompass all areas of health care placing patient outcomes as the center of focus. Without a performance monitoring system in place, health care would spend more time with trying to determine what is effective and what is not. Keeping in mind many of the improvements in medicine can have catastrophic effects on a person’s life if they fail. The need for constant monitoring can be seen in how we deal with and prescribe medications. Vioxx, and along with many other medications has shown that know matter what the clinical trials state, we must continue to monitor the effectiveness of these medications. Health care will continue to change and evolve and keeping the improvement of patient care as the highest priority.
posted by CARLOS RAIZ ENCISO
Dec 09, 2014, 9:09 PM
Why is it important to monitor improvements after they have been implemented? Why is it important to spot check, as well?
The main purpose of monitoring the improvements after have been implemented is to supervise the ongoing process and with the best wishes that those previous errors and deficiencies in the performance process do not be repeated again, and with the purpose of establishing a strong foundation for the institution. Although the entire staff is responsible to keep the process going, the leadership team should be close to participants and verify if the actions are implemented as intended. It is important for management to determine if with the implemented improvement process, the institution will achieve its goals and expectations, and what about the utilizations of resources, including staff and materials, management needs to make some measurements to the process to determine the improvement costs, and realize if it is worth it. If after monitoring the improvement process there are positive outcomes, it is important that management also check how satisfied is the staff with the new process, if not what modifications to improvement process should be made. The spot check will be more beneficial to the institution if is performed by an independent consultant because the result will be more accurate and without or less Bias.
posted by CARLITA GIBBONS
Dec 10, 2014, 6:53 AM
In the early 1990s, a number of hospitals created rapid-response teams or medical emergency teams to identify and intervene early in the care of clinically critical patients. The promise of these teams was that they could help provide better care to many of a hospital’s most at-risk patients, and in some instances the rates of cardiac arrest, post-surgical complications, and overall mortality were shown to have improved, at least informally. Over time, rapid-response teams became increasingly popular. So many stakeholders need to be engaged in continuous improvement: Process Owners and SMEs, Process Analysts, Lean / Six Sigma specialists, Quality Managers, IT, Training depending on the organization. It’s also very important to keep stakeholders involved in the process because in health care they play a vital role in structure of health and medicine. The combined and unceasing efforts of everyone health care professionals, patients and their families, researchers, payers, planners, educators to make changes that will lead to better patient outcome, better system performance, and better professional development is a sure fire way to remove any barriers that may be hindering improvement of the quality of care in health care.
posted by ELIZABETH HALL
Dec 10, 2014, 1:10 PM
In removing barriers to improvement, how important is it to get all stakeholders involved in the process early?
It is important to engage all groups that will be impacted by the decision of a quality improvement team. If the group doesn’t have the stakeholders involved in the process, many times they can be a barrier to the process. As explained by the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, the stakeholders share the importance of quality and the decisions that are being made to improve or change the process (NCDENR, 2014). These stakeholders can either have a vested interest in the teams work or be affected directly by the teams work (NCDENR, 2013). With that, if there is a terrible understanding or lack of involvement, many barriers can be made through the teams work and process. The stakeholders also bring data and information to the team to ensure that the processes are needed and working to move the quality to a needed area. The stakeholders can serve as the experts explaining concerns they may have and also describing processes and flows to have a baseline understanding for the group of what is going on at that time. These stakeholders also hold value and importance with others influencing change. If their departments and teams see them appreciating, accepting, and moving with change, they will too.
posted by NICOLE FENNELL
Dec 12, 2014, 8:08 AM
In removing barriers to improvement, how important is it to get all stakeholders involved in the process early?
Stakeholder involvement is very important early on in the process as they will have a say in the final decision making. They will be an important part in the process and they can lend a helping hand when making improvements as they will be part of the plan. If they are not included in the beginning stages, changes may need to be made that were not thought of or regulations not considered. This will delay the plan and waste time and money. “The QI Plan serves as an ongoing monitoring and evaluation tool for organizations and their key stakeholders,” (HRSA, 2011). Stakeholders are a part of the mission, vision, and scope of service if they are not involved in the process early on it can create major problems for the plan, as not everyone will be on the same page, (HRSA, 2011). “Consideration must be given to key stakeholders and funding and other regulatory requirements of an organization. Generally an organization will have a well-developed balance of both clinical and operational measures to evaluate the overall organization, (HRSA, 2011). Once the plan is complete the stakeholders will evaluate the objectives for the plan and see if they have been met or if further changes need to be made, again another reason to have them involved in the early stages, (HRSA, 2011).
